As deep autumn arrived, the weather gradually became colder.
On this day, Shen Yuan, as usual, was heading to the martial arts hall in Yunshui Town with his ox cart to pick up his eldest son to go home.
On the way, the noticeably sturdier Shen Wenxing sat on the ox cart and said hesitantly, "Dad, Uncle said I need to add some meals..."
The whip in Shen Yuan's hand paused slightly, and he turned to look at him, "Haven't you been eating enough recently?"
Huang Qingzhou's martial arts hall provided free white rice every day, but to eat vegetables and meat, the disciples had to pay for themselves.
Shen Wenxing's living expenses for ten days were five hundred wen, which calculated to fifty wen a day for food.
Fifty wen could ensure one meat dish and two vegetable dishes per meal, but the portion wouldn't be large.
"Uncle said that to become a Postnatal Martial Artist, I need to supplement a large amount of blood and energy, eating more meat."
His words carried a hint of guilt.
The family's living conditions were not bad, but in this era, eating meat was indeed a very luxurious thing.
In the past, the rice was produced in their own fields, and five hundred wen was almost the living expense of a family of four for a month.
Now he had to spend five hundred wen in just ten days, and moreover, ten taels of silver for medicinal meals every month.
The little fellow, though young, was very sensible and knew the money was saved by his parents through hard work, very not easy.
"Well, when we get back, tell your mother about it, and we'll give you one tael of silver every ten days."
Shen Yuan said in a deep voice, feeling the pressure in his heart inexplicably rising again.
Three taels of silver for food a month, and ten taels of silver for medicinal meals.
Calculating like this, a year would need more than a hundred and fifty taels of silver, plus twenty taels of gift money, Shen Wenxing's martial arts learning costed a hundred and seventy taels of silver a year.
After calculating carefully, he couldn't help but smile bitterly.
The saying "Poor in letters, rich in martial arts" was truly terrifying.
He had to quickly find a way, otherwise, the family's savings wouldn't last until next year.
Moreover, according to the time, his wife was due to give birth in eight months, and when the third child is born, it would be another expense...
The ox cart slowly headed towards Jinliu Village.
When the father and son returned home, Hu Yufen was busy chopping grain stalks.
The old ox and seven piglets at home all needed tending.
Seeing this, Shen Wenxing hurriedly jumped off the ox cart.
"Mom, let me!"
"Take a break."
The little fellow snatched the knife and busied himself chopping grass, Hu Yufen stood up and smiled appreciatively, "Be careful, don't hurt your hand."
"Shi Tou said to add meals, need to eat more meat…" Shen Yuan approached his wife and whispered.
"I plan to give him a tael of silver every ten days, let him eat better."
"It's getting colder, and the price of firewood is about to rise, I'll start going up the mountain to chop wood tomorrow."
Hu Yufen's expression changed slightly at his words and she looked at him with some heartache.
In previous years, the family didn't have such pressure, and the ten-acre woodland was cut once in winter by hiring some temp workers.
Using some firewood to pay the temp workers, storing some for themselves, and selling the rest.
Now he planned to forgo hiring temp workers, going up the mountain himself to chop wood. It would be more labor-intensive, but it would save a fair amount of money.
Knowing she couldn't help much about this, Hu Yufen hesitated for a while and said, "The other day Sister-in-law Zhao mentioned that she's doing embroidery work for a fabric shop in the town."
"Ten wen for a two-foot piece of embroidery, with nothing big happening at home in winter, why don't I take some work too?"
She was a noble young lady in her early years, having some experience in needlework and embroidery, and thought of using her skills to relieve some of Shen Yuan's stress.
Shen Yuan said nothing.
His wife is pregnant; although he didn't want her to work too much, an additional income for the family would be beneficial in the end.
In the evening, after fetching Shen Wenyan from Lu Zhiyuan's house, the brothers, who hadn't seen each other for ten days, unusually got closer.
In the open courtyard, the eldest Shen Wenxing showcased the pile skill he had learned to his younger brother.
Ah Nu tried to learn for a while too, but soon gave up, sweating profusely.
On the other hand, Shen Yuan watched with interest and tried learning with his own son for a while.
"Ah Die, Uncle said the pile skill can strengthen and improve health, you can practice when you're free."
Shen Yuan, gasping, finished his workout, shook his head slightly, and said, "Forget it for me."
"This pile skill is taught by the martial hall master to you, and without the master's and your uncle's permission, you shouldn't demonstrate it before your father and brother."
In novels and TV dramas of the past, sect cultivation techniques were considered confidential, with unauthorized transmission being punishable.
Shen Yuan felt that at his age of twenty-five or six, he had already passed the time for martial training.
Working hard for the rest of his life, raising the two kids well would be good enough, he doesn't want to burden them.
"No issue, Uncle said the pile skill is fundamental practice by soldiers, and our family probably had it early on, just not passed down."
Hearing this, Shen Yuan frowned and recalled.
Grandpa used to mention that great-grandfather seemed to have passed down some military routines, but since he lost a leg when he retired from the army, he couldn't teach grandpa and dad.
"Shi Tou, come here."
Calling Shen Wenxing over, Shen Yuan asked, "Let me test you, been learning from Uncle for over a month now, what is a Martial Artist?"
The little fellow answered without hesitation, "Uncle said, the foundation of a martial artist is the blood and energy, you're only truly a Martial Artist after successfully sensing and simply utilizing your own blood and energy, also called a Postnatal Martial Artist."
"A powerful Martial Artist can lift an ox and punch someone to death!"
Shen Wenxing waved his little fists, looking somewhat excited.
At this time, Hu Yufen came out of the kitchen with a large bowl of stewed meat, and upon hearing this, reprimanded immediately, "Shi Tou, Dad and Mom let you learn martial arts not to fight and bully others."
Shen Yuan also chimed in, "Your mom is right."
"In the future, even as a Martial Artist, don't bully others, maintain a baseline in your heart."
"You must understand that learning martial arts is to protect your family, to achieve feats and merits, safeguard home and country."
Shen Wenxing nodded earnestly: "Dad, Mom, don't worry."
Seeing that he absorbed their words, Hu Yufen smiled in comfort, "Go wash your hands and eat."
The family of four rarely gathered together, happily eating dinner.
As night fell, Hu Yufen was busy in the kitchen stewing medicinal meals for Shen Wenxing, while Shen Yuan came into the room, taking out the Hundred-Year Blood Toad's Exuvia from a wooden box.
Looking at the Blood Toad's Exuvia in hesitation for a moment, he eventually took out a small knife and carefully cut off a thumb-sized piece.
Putting away the leftover Blood Toad's Exuvia, Shen Yuan went to the kitchen, lifted the lid of the stewing medicinal meal, and placed the piece of Blood Toad's Exuvia inside.
Village physician Sun Fuchun once said that the Blood Toad's Shedding had no side effects and directly consuming it could consolidate foundation and nourish energy.
Now ordinary rice clearly couldn't meet Shi Tou's martial training needs, so he thought of adding the Blood Toad's Shedding to the medicinal meal.
If it's effective, the entire piece of Blood Toad's Shedding will slowly be consumed by him, making the most out of it.
After the medicinal meal was stewed, Shen Wenxing started eating.
"Eh?"
"Mom, this medicinal meal seems off this time..."
Just after the first bite, the little fellow noticed something was off.
Hu Yufen didn't give it much thought.
"It's stewed the same as usual, what's the difference?"
Shen Wenxing couldn't articulate it, devouring the meal hungrily nonetheless.
Not long after, he felt a surge of warmth rise up inside him, like having endless energy, and with a flushed face, he ran to the courtyard to practice posture and punching.
In the room, Hu Yufen, hearing the commotion, stood by the window watching for a while, satisfied:
"Our Shi Tou has become more sensible, training diligently even at night..."
Shen Yuan, with a peculiar expression, remained silent.
Thinking to himself, he mused it was the excessive amount of Blood Toad's Exuvia, and next time he would use less...